Question 1

Describe two methods that have already been used to study extrasolar planets,and which one gives us the most information.

Accepted Answer

Most have been detected by the Doppler s

Question 2

The Doppler radial velocity technique works best for:

Accepted Answer

A)  planets whose orbits are along our line of sight. 
B)  planets whose orbits are perpendicular to our line of sight. 
C)  planets whose orbits are nearly circular. 
D)  planets whose orbits are very eccentric. 
A)  planets whose orbits are along our line of sight. 
B)  planets whose orbits are perpendicular to our line of sight. 
C)  planets whose orbits are nearly circular. 
D)  planets whose orbits are very eccentric.

Question 3

Why are infrared observations useful when observing extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

Because planets radiate mostly infrared

Question 4

The habitable zone is the area around a star where:

Accepted Answer

A)  planets with life have been found. 
B)  human beings could live. 
C)  the Greenhouse Effect is possible. 
D)  a planet could have an atmosphere. 
E)  temperatures are suitable for planets to have liquid water. 
A)  planets with life have been found. 
B)  human beings could live. 
C)  the Greenhouse Effect is possible. 
D)  a planet could have an atmosphere. 
E)  temperatures are suitable for planets to have liquid water.

Question 5

The radius of a super-Earth generally falls in the range:

Accepted Answer

A)  above 5 Earth radii. 
B)  between 2 and 5 Earth radii. 
C)  between 1.25 and 2 Earth radii. 
D)  between 0.75 and 1.25 Earth radii. 
E)  below 0.75 Earth radii. 
A)  above 5 Earth radii. 
B)  between 2 and 5 Earth radii. 
C)  between 1.25 and 2 Earth radii. 
D)  between 0.75 and 1.25 Earth radii. 
E)  below 0.75 Earth radii.

Question 6

Super-Earths are:

Accepted Answer

A)  planets that are most earthlike, likely to harbor life. 
B)  planets that are a few times the mass of the Earth. 
C)  planets that have earthlike masses, but orbit much closer to their star than the Earth does to the Sun. 
D)  any rocky (or terrestrial) planet. 
E)  Earth-mass planets that are much lower in density than the Earth, giving them larger radii. 
A)  planets that are most earthlike, likely to harbor life. 
B)  planets that are a few times the mass of the Earth. 
C)  planets that have earthlike masses, but orbit much closer to their star than the Earth does to the Sun. 
D)  any rocky (or terrestrial) planet. 
E)  Earth-mass planets that are much lower in density than the Earth, giving them larger radii.

Question 7

What are some of the properties of objects in the solar system that a theory of its origin DOES NOT need to account for? Explain.

Accepted Answer

There are many answers to this: Mercury'

Question 8

Hot Jupiters are thought to have moved closer to their parent star than where they originated due to:

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational interactions with the gas disk. 
B)  magnetic attraction to the parent star. 
C)  interactions with another star. 
D)  large impacts. 
E)  many small impacts. 
A)  gravitational interactions with the gas disk. 
B)  magnetic attraction to the parent star. 
C)  interactions with another star. 
D)  large impacts. 
E)  many small impacts.

Question 9

Of the first exoplanets found,most were detected by:

Accepted Answer

A)  noting the drop in the star's light as the planet transits its disk. 
B)  imaging them with the HST in the infrared, where they are easier to stop. 
C)  noting the Doppler shifts of the star as the planet orbits it from side to side. 
D)  receiving radio transmissions from them, much like Jupiter emits. 
E)  detecting the oxygen in their atmospheres spectroscopically. 
A)  noting the drop in the star's light as the planet transits its disk. 
B)  imaging them with the HST in the infrared, where they are easier to stop. 
C)  noting the Doppler shifts of the star as the planet orbits it from side to side. 
D)  receiving radio transmissions from them, much like Jupiter emits. 
E)  detecting the oxygen in their atmospheres spectroscopically.

Question 10

Space telescopes looking for transiting planets look for small drops in brightness; these drops are:

Accepted Answer

A)  less than 10%. 
B)  less than 1%. 
C)  less than 0.01%. 
D)  less than 0.0001%. 
E)  any size. 
A)  less than 10%. 
B)  less than 1%. 
C)  less than 0.01%. 
D)  less than 0.0001%. 
E)  any size.

Question 11

What information do we know about the known exoplanets?

Accepted Answer

A)  estimates of orbits and masses 
B)  complete composition 
C)  precise masses 
D)  All of the above 
E)  None of the above 
A)  estimates of orbits and masses 
B)  complete composition 
C)  precise masses 
D)  All of the above 
E)  None of the above

Question 12

The Collision Hypothesis and Evolutionary Theories are considered to be equally plausible explanations of how planetary systems form.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Eccentric Jupiters would probably eject any terrestrial planet from the planetary system where they are found.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

When was the first confirmed exoplanet discovered?

Accepted Answer

A)  shortly after the invention of the telescope, in the early 1600s 
B)  in prehistoric times 
C)  around 350 BC, by the Ancient Greeks 
D)  early in the 21st century 
E)  near the end of the 20ᵗʰ century 
A)  shortly after the invention of the telescope, in the early 1600s 
B)  in prehistoric times 
C)  around 350 BC, by the Ancient Greeks 
D)  early in the 21st century 
E)  near the end of the 20ᵗʰ century

Exam 15: Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

Describe two methods that have already been used to study extrasolar planets,and which one gives us the most information.

The Doppler radial velocity technique works best for:

Why are infrared observations useful when observing extrasolar planets?

The habitable zone is the area around a star where:

The radius of a super-Earth generally falls in the range:

Super-Earths are:

What are some of the properties of objects in the solar system that a theory of its origin DOES NOT need to account for? Explain.

Hot Jupiters are thought to have moved closer to their parent star than where they originated due to:

Of the first exoplanets found,most were detected by:

Space telescopes looking for transiting planets look for small drops in brightness; these drops are:

What information do we know about the known exoplanets?

The Collision Hypothesis and Evolutionary Theories are considered to be equally plausible explanations of how planetary systems form.

Eccentric Jupiters would probably eject any terrestrial planet from the planetary system where they are found.

When was the first confirmed exoplanet discovered?

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earth's Sister Planet

Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants,Dwarfs,and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars

Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae,Supernovae,and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

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